At your service: Learning is great fun at this Swiss hospitality school when students manage simulated hotels and prepare multi-cuisines

Glion, the hospitality education institution of Switzerland lives up to its motto - of taking you to the top. Nestled among the Swiss Alps, it offers a breathtaking view of the Swiss Riviera and the French and Swiss Alps. Students from across the world who are studying hospitality, hotel management and allied areas at this institute learn beyond textbooks. They manage coffee shops as well as exclusive fine dining restaurants on campus and plan everything from the menu to the dishes of the day, with the industry’s top chefs guiding them when they cook.

The school was built on the concept of a simulated hotel and school, featuring five restaurants. Students also get to learn through craft-based learning in service and kitchen and the food and beverages divisions. They are also taught drama and performance, critical reading of English literature, architecture, design, experiential art therapy, and rock and roll.

The calendar for the event, sport and entertainment programme students is exciting. Faculty members and students organise a variety of activities and parties, the highlights including the bi-annual cultural fair and talent shows.

Glion Institute of Higher Education is inviting applications for bachelor’s, postgraduate and master’s programmesEligibility: The criteria varies for all levels of courses How to apply: You can either start your application online on , or you can contact the institute by email at info@glion.eduLast date to apply: May 15, 2015

Programmes on offer by Glion

Bachelor of business &shy;administration (BBA) in hospitality &shy;management

Bachelor in hospitality &shy;management with specialisations:

# Human resources

# Real estate finance and revenue management

# Sales and marketing

# Event management

# Sustainable development in &shy;tourism

Postgraduate degree in &shy;hospitalityPostgraduate degree in &shy;events, sports and entertainmentMBA hospitalityMSc in international hospitality finance

Going beyond classrooms

Two Indian students talk about their experience of living in the Glion sur Montreux and Bulle campuses

Bhavik Thakker, events, sports, entertainment mgmt

Bhavik Thakker, a student at Glion, Montreux, says: “Montreux is only an hour away from Geneva. GIHE is located uphill from Montreux at a town called Glion. Glion overlooks Lake Geneva and offers a magnificent panoramic view of the lake and the mountains. Apart from daily lectures, we are taught using a concept called CBL (craft-based learning) through which we are given guidelines and a budget and are required to conduct an event.”

Currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in events, sports and entertainment management, Thakker thinks it is a “fantastic course which is extremely detailed.” The faculty for this course consists of industry professionals, people who have years of experience in the events industry. “However, the fact that it is so detailed means that you must be absolutely sure that this course is what you want to pursue and I feel that my decision to take up the programme was absolutely spot on,” says Thakker.

Having lived with a vastly multicultural community before coming to Glion, he was very much at home here in the first few days. “The college really tries to help every student to have a comfortable start with an induction week and plenty of ice-breaking parties!” he adds. He plans to work around the world in cities such as London, Stockholm, Munich, New York and Miami. The events, sports and entertainment course consists of seven semesters and requires students to complete two semesters worth of internship. The college is well connected to big sporting companies like UEFA and FIFA, to name a few.

Utkarsh Gupta BA in international events

The campus in Bulle mirrors university life. Students in this campus are expected to be independent in their daily activities. They are given a host of academic and extra-curricular activities like trekking, snowboarding, skiing etc. Sports of every kind is the forte of this campus.

Utkarsh Gupta, student at the GIHE Bulle campus, who is pursuing a BA with a specialisation in international events says: “The course essentially trains me for a managerial position in the industry. The topics are highly specialised and cover both the macro and micro aspects of the industry. After the two internships I completed, it is becoming easy for me to comprehend the course.”

One of the most unique aspects of the institute is that about 85% to 90% of its students are from over 90 countries. “As a student, this gives me the opportunity to learn something new and special about the people I spend my time with. I currently live with people of two different nationalities. I feel it is a good experience as now I am comfortable with the way I have to deal with different people with different mindsets.

“People I work are so motivated to explore this industry and to do something unique. GIHE offers specialisation in the courses I am interested in. The creative topics and the methodology of teaching is what differentiates GIHE from other institutes. It also has a great alumni network and they are always making efforts to educate students about their experiences and current life in the industry. The faculty is highly experienced and has a lot to offer in terms of education and training,” adds Gupta.

Gupta came to know about GIHE when he attended a seminar organised by the institute at his school. “I was fascinated by the way the institution functions and the opportunities it can offer to its students. With hospitality as my family background, I wanted to do something creative and wanted to get in an industry in which I can experience changes. I ended up selecting events management as my course and GIHE being the path, I joined it. After I graduate, I plan to pursue a job in the industry. For the first two years, I want to keep my options open and would like to work abroad to develop on my international skills and to understand how things function internationally.

“I would then like to finish my MBA in a field that I find productive and interesting. In the end I would like to return to India so that I can contribute to the industry with the skills I gain during these years abroad. Also, the events industry is developing in India at a very high rate with international level events and exclusive ideas being put into use by the industries finest,” he says.

Factfile# Glion Institute of Higher Education is a private institute that offers undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate programmes on its campuses in Switzerland and London, UK # Glion is accredited at the university level by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. through its Commission on Institutions of Higher Education, and offers programmes in the fields of hospitality, tourism, events, sports and entertainment management# The student body comprises over 1,600 students from more than 90 nationalities# Representatives from around 100 companies come to its campuses each year to recruit students for internships and employment